3M Abrasive Technology

3M® Cubitron® II abrasive grains combine the advanced properties of the original grain with the microstructures of 3M® Trizact®. When worn, the triangular Cubitron® grains fracture to create new peaks, thanks to the patented 3M® microreplication technology found in Trizact®. While conventional abrasives are irregular and generate friction, heat and slower cutting, the uniform arrangement of the Trizact® structures ensures consistent performance in 3M® abrasives.

The science of consistent finishing

3M® Cubitron® II abrasive grains combine the advanced properties of the original Cubitron® grain with the micro-replicated structures of 3M® Trizact® abrasives, which, as the triangular grains wear, continually fracture to form new peaks.

Conventional abrasive grains, being irregular and amorphous, generate friction on the metal during cutting, resulting in excess heat on the workpiece and abrasive. This leads to a decrease in cutting speed and a reduction in abrasive life compared to the advanced 3M® Cubitron® II abrasive grains.

How to transform your production line

3M introduces its patented technology, CUBITRON II, which utilizes a triangle-shaped ceramic grit electrostatically bonded to the backing of the sandpaper, achieving a uniform and efficient finish. This unique arrangement allows for faster grinding, better finishing, superior performance and less heat build-up during use. Throughout its service life, the triangle grain continuously fractures and regenerates, maintaining its effectiveness.

CUBITRON II excels in heavy grinding, especially in coarse grains such as 36, 60 and 80. This PSG technology improves processes compared to traditional abrasives, offering longer life and a more comfortable working temperature. Customers such as Hatch Stamping (984F) and Helvex (723D) praise the exceptional performance of these products, which is difficult to replicate in the same range.

A case in point is the customer Macor, which, by using the 4-1/2" G 36 Cubitron II disc, experienced significant improvements in finishing and speed of roughing, saving steps in the process. CUBITRON II is distinguished by its unique technology, with triangle-shaped, self-sharpening grains, offering increased cutting power, extended material life, improved finish and cleanliness. It is especially recommended for weld removal and material removal in metalworking applications.

Precise, three-dimensional microscopic structures

Trizact Abrasives excel in 3D microstructures, especially in micropyramidal shape. They combine resin and mineral in each pyramid, which generates new mineral grains during wear, improving sanding. They ensure consistent performance and predictable finishes. In addition to consistency, they offer quality, durability, cutting power and economy.

The uniform design prevents sanding defects and channels between pyramids facilitate dust ejection, avoiding clogging and regulating temperature. Unlike conventional abrasives, Trizact abrasives maintain sharp minerals, ensuring an exceptional cut. They achieve consistent finishes throughout their service life, making them a cost-effective and durable choice.

How to transform your production line

TRIZACT technology, patented by 3M, excels in providing exceptional finishes through its pyramidal structure formed by a resin that houses micro-abrasives. These abrasives are gradually released as the pyramid wears, ensuring a consistent finish from the beginning to the end of the abrasive's life. Unlike conventional abrasives, TRIZACT offers a unique grain size, from A160 equivalent to P120, to A6 equivalent to P200.

With its technology, TRIZACT provides long, smooth grinding with precise cuts, using aluminum oxide with a soft backing. Although it is a higher priced abrasive, its performance meets the expectations of customers, such as Mills Products, who value consistency in their process. The specific application of TRIZACT has been crucial in winning projects, especially in stainless steel furniture fabrication, where finish uniformity and conformability are critical.

TRIZACT, as an exclusive 3M technology, is distinguished by its perfectly aligned pyramid-shaped grains, achieving a uniform and even surface finish. This abrasive is ideal for removing imperfections and achieving mirror or polished finishes quickly and consistently, surpassing the competition in terms of quality and durability.

The science of consistent finishing

3M® Cubitron® II abrasive grains combine the advanced properties of the original Cubitron® grain with the micro-replicated structures of 3M® Trizact® abrasives, which, as the triangular grains wear, continually fracture to form new peaks.

Conventional abrasive grains, being irregular and amorphous, generate friction on the metal during cutting, resulting in excess heat on the workpiece and abrasive. This leads to a decrease in cutting speed and a reduction in abrasive life compared to the advanced 3M® Cubitron® II abrasive grains.

How to transform your production line

3M's XTRACT technology offers a guarantee of excellent finish by allowing you to work on much cleaner surfaces through its innovative dust extraction system. This enhanced system consists of a mesh with a Cubitron abrasive pattern deposited on it, providing high performance and a uniform finish on a variety of surfaces such as wood, corian and metal. The key to XTRACT is its use with dust extraction tools, which improves the operator's field of vision by eliminating the dust cloud generated during the job.

The additional advantage of XTRACT goes beyond operator comfort; by eliminating dust, the operator's health is taken care of by avoiding particle inhalation. This technology ensures 95% extraction of the dust generated in the application. In addition, it offers superior performance by preventing disc blockage due to dust accumulation, outperforming the competition in terms of durability and efficiency. The XTRACT's net-shaped discs allow working without generating dust, providing greater efficiency and sanding time, highlighting its successful application in projects such as the 310W disc at Sanivex. This combination of Cubitron 2 with a dust extraction system is ideal for clean jobs in sectors such as automotive, aerospace and woodworking.

Scotch-Brite™ nonwoven technology. Ready for perfection.

The Scotch-Brite™ Surface Conditioning line offers a wide variety of non-woven synthetic fiber abrasives specially formulated for various applications. These abrasives are perfect for cleaning, matting, deburring, finishing and polishing, improving surfaces without significantly altering the shape or dimension of the workpiece. With an open mesh design, Scotch-Brite abrasives stay cool, preventing clogging.

This innovative product features a tough, non-woven nylon mesh impregnated with resin and mineral throughout, providing a spring-like action for smooth, burr-free surfaces. Easy to use, it reduces recoating and minimizes waste, providing uniformity and reducing the risk of discoloration.

How to transform your production line

3M's Scotch Brite line offers endless applications with a broad and diverse portfolio, from pads with different densities to dense wheels combined with Cubitron technology for simultaneous roughing and finishing. It is composed of nonwoven fibers coated with abrasive mineral, used in various industrial and domestic applications, such as surface conditioning, roughing, deburring and satin finishing.

Scotch Brite is especially versatile, with a non-woven cotton fiber construction that incorporates abrasive minerals for consistent results. Its products offer pressure load resistance, lower heat build-up and longer life. With abrasives such as silicon carbide and aluminum oxide, Scotch Brite excels in low pressure, preparation and paint finishing applications. Available in various forms such as belts, 5-inch discs, Roloc discs and hand pads, it is effective on metals such as bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, as well as fiberglass and plastic.

Customers such as Mills Products and Helvex choose Scotch Brite for its performance and finish, while Kohler Reynosa and Acuamex achieved significant improvements in productivity and finish by adopting this product line. Scotch Brite is 3M's choice for surface cleaning and conditioning, offering high quality and performance in a variety of presentations.

Proud of the trip

Our alliance with 3M® has allowed us to transform the way the manufacturing industry works in Mexico. Our technical advisors are ready to visit and analyze your production process to recommend and supply optimizations with the latest Cubtiron®, Scotch-Brite®, and Trizact® technology. At Ideal Abrasives and Conversions we pride ourselves in facilitating and supplying the use of these technologies for our industry to maintain competitive and leading edge manufacturing.

3M Catalog

Discover the new 767

We have the ideal disc for:
  • Finishing and polishing.
  • Cleaning and removal.
  • Deburring.
  • Blurring